I managed to wrap up this photoshoot for Amiya from Arknights over the weekend! Let's start with the line everyone cares about most: No calling me "Ami-donkey"! Although this meme nickname has long been famous among the player community, as an ACG Cosplayer striving to faithfully recreate the character, I still hope all Doctors can respect the dignity of Rhodes Island's little leader.
For this Amiya cosplay, quite a bit of effort went into the early preparations. First is her signature large bunny ears—to keep them from drooping limply, I added a hidden support frame inside the wig base so they stay upright whether indoors or at outdoor shoots. As for makeup, to match her character design, I specifically chose bright blue contact lenses. Paired with slightly deepened shadows on the lower eyelids and youthful straight bangs, I tried my best to capture that transparent yet resilient anime look in her eyes.
Outfit fidelity was another major focus of this shoot. The blue utility-style jacket is paired with a white ruffled inner top, and I meticulously adjusted every ruffle layer of the dark blue frills and brown flower decoration at the neckline. The lower half features a classic blue-and-black plaid pleated miniskirt, along with the much-anticipated black tights outfit paired with light blue leg straps. Wearing this gear really tests the silhouette because the jacket is somewhat loose; without careful composition, it can easily make one look bulky. So while taking photos, I intentionally adjusted sitting postures and hand placements to elongate visual proportions, and thankfully the resulting photos look surprisingly slimming.
When taking these photos, I deliberately chose a cozy home-style ambiance, reclining or sitting cross-legged on the rug. This was inspired by Amiya herself: although she shoulders heavy responsibilities in the lore, she is still young at heart with a young girl's relaxed charm. The large plush toy in the photos was my great helper—I held and interacted with it, or simply leaned against it as a backrest. In particular, the third high-angle shot intentionally highlighted details of the black tights and leg ring. Although I accidentally ended up with a small bruise on my knee due to awkward positioning on shoot day, it felt like a cute little behind-the-scenes episode of my casual cosplay routine that actually added a genuine, realistic touch.
As an ACG Cosplayer active in the community for a long time, I've always felt that Amiya's contrast—being "forced to mature" while striving to bear the burden of Rhodes Island—is a captivating trait. In terms of expression management, I didn't deliberately keep a cold face to act tough; instead, I gazed into the lens with soft eyes as much as possible, paired with a small bunny prop in my hand to convey the tenderness she holds toward the Doctor and her comrades. Of course, the set for this shoot was quite simple, relying mainly on white curtains and plush carpets at home, utilizing natural lighting and ambient mood without flashy post-processing overlays, just aiming to present both her cool composure and cuteness.
Lastly, I want to say that every cosplay is a deep dive into understanding the character. Although this outfit was indeed cumbersome to wear—especially those bunny ears bumping into surrounding scenery at times—the moment the final photos came out, everything felt completely worth it. I hope these ramblings about my shooting experience show everyone my dedication to this work. Fellow fans who love this character are more than welcome to share thoughts on character portrayals, as there's so much to discuss regarding outfit prop details and facial expressions!